Niche Commercialization Question/Help

[ophy]

Hello guys, Hello Lynn.

I need help or advices with my choice of niche.

I have one blog right now, which I have optimized following the very good tutorials, NSB. :)
I don't want to continue too much with that niche, it's saturated. At least, I have optimized what I have already done, so it wasn't done for nothing, lol.

I am really, really, unsure if my future niche is monetizable enough to go through with it. This niche idea is something I am passionate about, so this is why it would be easier to work with, but I don't find a lot of ways to commercialize it.

My niche is a specific region on the planet that I am very attracted to.

I am using google keyword to research, and I find the results to be very scattered and often not very relevant.

Apart from joining a few traveling and tour affiliate programs, amazon (for books, maps, a handful of food to buy), I really don't find much to commercialize my niche. I'm wondering if I am doing something wrong in my researches.

Modifier such as: buy, order, shopping, dvd, program, don't give me results, zero :P

I haven't used Wordtracker, because my budget is limited.

Any idea to help my researches?
Thanks in advance! :)

[Lynn Terry]

I have one blog right now...
I don't want to continue too much with that niche, it's saturated.

How do you define "saturated"? Usually that's a GOOD thing. It means it's a profitable niche, and the more competition the better - for guest blogging, joint ventures, affiliate programs, etc.

Regarding your passion for the specific location, how would you define the audience for this niche or blog?

[ophy]

Thank you Lynn!

That saturated niche of mine, is "learn to earn money online" and "monetize your blog".
Since I'm following your tutorials, I don't feel 100% comfortable doing the monetize your blog niche, lol.
It feels odd to "compete" with you! :P

For That second niche, the audience is people looking for information on that region, wanting to prepare a trip and itinerary, or to get info of a potential place to visit, or get info on the culture of that region, looking for what they eat over there, what to do over there, best things to see,...

All this could be covered with that second niche.

[Lynn Terry]

Ahh - yes, that's a tough topic (not a niche, but a topic) if you don't have a successful case study that is earning money online or a blog that is successfully monetized. Otherwise the content is mostly guesswork, which is the case with a lot of blogs. You really have to be "in the trenches" with a niche blog or online business to keep up to date and actually write content that helps others do the same. So I understand now why you want to move away from that one.

Location based sites are popular. You might look at some for inspiration and ideas, and make notes on what you like - which features appeal to you, what might be missing, what you could incorporate, and of course how they're monetizing. I analyze a lot of the other low carb blogs for ideas on their connections, brands, networks, sponsors, engagement strategies, etc. ;-)

[ophy]

Okay,
Thank you. Good idea :)

[ophy]

Now that I think about it,
I was under the impression that "how to monetize a blog" was a niche or micro niche.

So, how do we differentiate niches and topics?

[ridgley]

When you say niche. It means specific market that you are doing while topic means your ideas regarding your specific market.

[Lynn Terry]

Now that I think about it,
I was under the impression that "how to monetize a blog" was a niche or micro niche.

So, how do we differentiate niches and topics?

A topic is basically just a subject or theme.

A niche is "a distinct segment of a market".

Don't get too caught up in descriptions or definitions though. There are plenty of people out there with "personal" or "lifestyle" blogs that don't have a particular theme, other than the author and the following they create with their personality & topics.

[jedha]

I think local based online businesses can do very well. I'd do what Lynn says and look around at some successful ones and see what they are doing, how they are monetizing etc. There is actually a lot you could do.

As for niche, that stuff drives me mad sometimes to because I am in nutrition and health which is so broad as a 'theme' but what that means is then you can drill down into different segments. Lynn does that here too. Internet marketing is very broad but she drills down into different 'niche segments' and basically that just means you're filling a need and giving people what they want.

I look forward to hearing about how you go and sharing tips :)

[ophy]

Thank you both!
I did my researches by checking what successful others are doing, it's working ideas-wise, I'm getting many :)

I haven't started anything else on this yet.

[Lynn Terry]

I'm glad the research is producing some great ideas!

Keep us posted. ;-)

[ophy]

Hello again!

Alright I'm back with this.
By watching what others in my subject/niche are doing to monetize their blogs, I found ideas yes.
But I'm still stuck with the fact that keyword tools are not giving me any
results when I use commercial modifier to find product ideas and content ideas.

I'm not sure what to do.
Try imagining having a location blog, and modifier
keywords give no results. So far, I get results with "maps", "cruise", "real estate".

But they won't search for buy xyz, order xyz, how to xyz, xyz product, xyz guide, download xyz, xyz book.

So imagine it's Faroe Islands (which is not), and you don't find commercial searches,
well you can write about FI all you want, but it doesn't seem very commercializable, no?

Thanks guys for your take,

[Lynn Terry]

Have you done the Monetization Brainstorming Exercise yet? I assume you're following the Niche Success Blueprint - if not, let me know. But my advice would be to sit down and make a list of everything your target market might buy. There's travel (hotel & airfare booking), local merchandise, maybe Discount Restaurant Certificates (I love those!). Make an exhaustive list of everything you can think of, along with what you saw/found on related sites.

You can test Adsense on the site and watch for relevant merchants and products/services that display too.

You might also score some local advertisers once you have a decent amount of traffic coming in.

[ophy]

Hello Lynn,
Yes I've done the monetization brainstorming exercise. I suppose then that I have to look at my project as one I will not be able to monetize within 6 months. For instance, local advertisers might get interested only once I have enough traffic, which could take 1 year. (who knows how much is "enough traffic"...)

I was trying to find faster ways to generate income, such as related products I could blog about and sell. These could bring in a revenu faster than local advertisers. But like I said, there are zero searches with buy, order, download, guide...

I will sit down again and re adjust the list of what my target market might buy. Thank you!
702

[Lynn Terry]

There are certain things they won't search for, but would easily buy if introduced to them or educated about them. Such as the restaurant certificates or merchandise for example. And of course you can use Adsense to start as I mentioned.

I got my first site sponsor for my low carb blog when it was less than two months old. At a lower rate of course due to it being new and having lower numbers, but it was very targeted with great engagement - which means a lot to certain advertisers.

[ophy]

There are certain things they won't search for, but would easily buy if introduced to them or educated about them. Such as the restaurant certificates or merchandise for example.

Good point.
Thanks :)